Jean-Paul Brun — Domaine des Terres Dorées, Beaujolais

Jean-Paul Brun is the natural wine pioneer of Beaujolais. Since the early 1980s — long before natural wine became fashionable — he has farmed organically, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled his Gamay wines with minimal sulphur and no manipulation. In a region long associated with commercial, industrial wine, he quietly proved that Beaujolais could be something genuinely special.

His domaine, Terres Dorées (‘golden lands’), is named for the warm limestone soils of his home village of Charnay in southern Beaujolais. Here he produces a range of wines across the appellation hierarchy — from the energetic, joyful Beaujolais Villages to the serious, structured Moulin-à-Vent — all sharing the same philosophy: let the grape and the land do the work.

The Wines

L’Ancien is his flagship Beaujolais Villages — made from old Gamay vines using traditional whole-bunch fermentation, it is bright, pure, and wonderfully vibrant. His Beaujolais Blanc, made from Chardonnay grown on the granite-limestone soils of the Beaujolais-Mâconnais border, is quietly brilliant and shows how compelling this corner of Burgundy can be. Beyond Beaujolais, Brun also produces a beautifully precise Bourgogne Pinot Noir from carefully selected parcels.

What the Critics Say

Robert Parker awarded Domaine des Terres Dorées four stars — his highest rating for a Beaujolais producer and placing Brun as the finest Beaujolais domaine outside the named Crus. Wine Advocate scored the L’Ancien 91 points for the 2020 vintage, praising its purity and character.

These are wines for those who care about honesty over spectacle. Served slightly cool, L’Ancien is one of the most joyful reds in existence. Wines Direct has been one of Ireland’s most committed importers of Jean-Paul Brun’s wines for many years.